


Don't Call it Love

by Gaybaruby



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: F/F, Minor Kunikida Hanamaru/Tsushima Yoshiko, Minor Kurosawa Dia/Matsuura Kanan/Ohara Mari, Minor Sakurauchi Riko/Takami Chika
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 11:47:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14043621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gaybaruby/pseuds/Gaybaruby
Summary: Ruby and You are sick of hearing about love and just want a friend, but things get a little more complicated than that.





	Don't Call it Love

The coruscant, warm sun filtered through the thin, barely there clouds, blinding and annoying a certain grey-haired girl as she pushed her glasses back up. The room was way hotter than it had any business being. You was highly tempted to close the curtains, but she was much too dilatory and comfortable to actually do something about it.

So she stayed laying down. She rolled over onto her side, sighing as she scrolled through her contacts. She was bored and hot, and she had absolutely nothing to do. She was tempted to call Chika or Riko and ask to do something, but stopped as she bit her lip, frowning at the pretty barren list. ' _Oh yeah, everyone's dating and probably having fun together.'_ Well, the third years never admitted to being in a relationship, but it was pretty obvious to everyone else that, yes, they absolutely were. Other than that, though, Yohane and Hanamaru were dating, as were Chika and Riko. That just left...

Kurosawa Ruby. You winced. It's not that she didn't like hanging out with Ruby (in fact, it seemed like Ruby avoided her), but they definitely weren't close- It was just that Ruby was kind of a mystery to the girl. She really only seemed to talk to Hanamaru and Dia, and sometimes Yoshiko, but she was pretty quiet around everyone else. Anytime You had approached her before, the girl either jumped into space or looked like she was going to die with all the blood rushing to her face. Not to mention that Dia might get the wrong idea- You couldn't deny that she was pretty friendly and kind of a flirt, even if she didn't actually like them that way.

But goddamn was she bored. _'What'll it hurt?_ ' You thought, tapping the small phone icon beneath Ruby's name.

 

•••

  
Ruby smiled as she waved off to Yoshiko and Hanamaru. They were planning on going on a date to a bakery that Yoshiko was fond of a town over ( _'I can tell~'_ Hanamaru had said jokingly as she prodded the fallen angel's stomach). She loved seeing her two friends happily together, instead of the annoying back and forth they had been pulling for the couple months prior. It was nice to see the issue resolved.

Still, that didn't mean Ruby wasn't lonely. As happy as she was for them, they hadn't been paying much attention to Ruby. They'd been together for half a year, and Ruby still wasn't used to it. She missed when they could go eat at cafes after school without Hanamaru and Yoshiko constantly flirting. As cute as it was, Ruby couldn't help feeling like a third wheel.

Ruby shook her head as she neared one of those cafes, smiling kind of bitterly at the cute tables and decorations. They were happy, and that's what counted!... Right? Ruby tried to ignore the pang in her heart. She couldn't even turn to Dia, because she had her hands full with 2 girlfriends! The third years were so tight-knit that the feeling was even worse around them.

Before Ruby's thoughts could go deeper, she nearly jumped out of her uniform when she felt her phone vibrate and the chorus to Nawatobi blasting at full volume. Her face went fire-truck red as she heard a few chuckles from passer-bys. It'd been so long since anyone called or texted that she'd forgotten to put in on vibrate only. She frowned in confusion when she saw You's name blinking back at her, before pressing 'answer' and bringing the phone up to her ear.

  
•••

  
"H-hello?" A demure voice greeted questioningly.

"Hey Ruby-chan! You doing anything right now?" You asked, rolling on her other side. There was a short pause, before Ruby responded.

"No... Why?" Ruby responded. You smiled.

"I was thinking of going to a cafe or something- get something to eat, maybe some ice cream, and chat a bit, y'know?" You frowned as the tautness of Ruby's previous response fully registered. Maybe she shouldn't have bothered the girl?

"A-ah, I see," Ruby paused, voice relaxing, "F-funny thing: I'm stopped right in front of one right now. They even specialize in ice cream."

You let out a hearty laugh that surprised even herself. It wasn't specifically out of humor, though. You felt a tension she didn't even realize she'd had leave, then composed herself before saying, "You free to hang for a bit then?"

"Y-yeah. I'll text you the address then. U-unless you wanna eat somewhere else," Ruby said. You chuckled.

"No, no, you've got my interest piqued now, we're definitely going there! See ya there," You said, feeling like she might explode due to the sheer joy. Feeling more energized than she had in a while, You threw on a white tee, dark blue jeans, a thin black jacket left unzipped, and a snapback, tucking her wallet and phone into the pocket. It'd been a long while since she'd felt like this.

  
•••

 

Ruby smiled as she sat on the bench outside in the waiting area. You said she'd be there in five minutes, so Ruby decided to just get a table. Ruby sighed softly as she let the sun wash over her, leaving her feeling warm and fuzzy. She couldn't remember the last time someone wanted to talk to her about anything not love related. Well, to be fair, she rarely talked to anyone outside of Aqours, so it was kind of her own fault, but still. Hanamaru and Yoshiko were always lovey dovey, and if they were alone with Ruby, they'd just talk about how much they loved the other. Dia was always asking for advice and gushing about Kanan and Mari as well. She'd heard the word love so many times it didn't even seem real.

Ruby was snapped out of her thoughts when she saw You walking towards her. Ruby felt like her face was on fire when she took in the sight. Her bright blue eyes seemed to glow in the sunlight, black glasses sliding off of her nose, messy grey hair swept into two equally messy low pigtails. Now she remembered why she avoided talking to You- It felt like talking to a celebrity. Here she was just wearing her school uniform. Her legs twitched like they wanted to jump up and leave. She didn't want You to be seen being friends with such a plain girl, especially at a cafe like this. Her inner dilemma was cut short when she heard a cheerful voice

  
•••

  
"Hey Ruby-chan!" You called out as she ran towards the younger girl. You almost tripped over her own feet when the sun finally decided to stop blinding her, and Ruby came more properly into view. Ruby was absolutely adorable, which You had forgotten for some reason. You wanted to kick herself. She'd come wearing a plain outfit- with a snapback no less!- and threw on the first jacket her fingers came into contact with. Sure, Ruby was only wearing her uniform, but it was neatly pressed with no creases, and was almost blindingly white. Ruby came from a strict background, after all, and being seen with such a casually dressed friend would probably earn Ruby a scolding. Not to mention that it felt almost wrong to talk to someone as pure and cute as Ruby- it was more like talking to a goddess or mascot, that you were supposed to watch quietly from afar rather than engage with. Her thoughts were interrupted when the girl waved back.

"H-hey, You-chan," Ruby said, a small smile on her lips as she stood, shifting her bag on her shoulder before continuing, "I got us a table, so we can go in."

You nodded, removing her cap as they walked through the doors. The smell of sweets and coffee immediately greeted their noses, almost drawing a deep sigh from You. Being an idol and a swimmer meant she hadn't been able to gorge herself like this for a while, and You was practically salivating at the mouth. While they walked toward the hostess, You took the time to appreciate Ruby's taste in cafes.

The cafe had a classy, yet comfortable style. The tables were glass with thin, gold patterns throughout, the legs were black and metal, black cushions on the chairs. There were 2 person tables along the windows, which were almost crystal-like with gold flowers framing around the edges, with 4 person tables filling up the space in between. It was set up so that the entire dining area was on their right, with the entrance being on the left leading straight to the register, with the kitchen behind it. The floor was hardwood, glossy and absolutely gorgeous, the area where the register and hostess resided were situated was a darker- almost black- wood, with white handles. Hanging flower pots with different herbs and flowers were hung everywhere, lantern-like lights illuminating the place. You almost got lost in the decorations, until she heard Ruby start talking.

"Sorry I'm just in my uniform, I didn't get to go home and change out," Ruby said, reaching for one of the two menus. You shook her head, sliding onto the chair with a grin.

"Nah, 'sfine. I just threw on whatever, so I'm way worse. I was home so I've got no excuse," You said, her grin unfaltering. Ruby almost flinched when she noticed You looking directly at her. Talking to love-struck people all the time meant that no one ever really looked at her, so much as they gushed over the love of their life and spent most of the time remembering the moments with them, no matter how ridiculously recent.

"I-If you say so." Ruby returned You's strong gaze. Even if Ruby was shy and not generally this forward, she felt as though You would appreciate it like she appreciated You's gaze. It felt nice to be looked at as more than just a living diary. She noticed something flashing in You's eyes, and smiled- You did appreciate it.

You's eyes flicked down to the menu, biting her lip as she looked through the options. It wasn't often a chance like this came around, so she didn't want to make a choice she'd regret. Sighing in defeat, You's eyes searched for Ruby's. You smiled when those teal eyes shyly met hers, brushing her bangs from her glasses.

"What're you ordering?" You asked, chin in her left hand as her right one toyed with a sugar packet lazily. She grinned at the younger girl's firey look, sitting up straight as Ruby slammed the menu in front of You, finger pointing to a sundae that You thought she'd get diabetes from just looking at.

"This! It's got the essentials: Custard, whipped cream, strawberries, pound cake cubes, and french vanilla ice cream," Ruby said, grin wide as she flipped the menu back around to face herself, before continuing, "I think You-chan would probably like something lighter..."

"That's pretty incredible- You sure you can eat that by yourself?" You asked teasingly. She chuckled when Ruby smirked, before going on, "Got any reccomendations?"

Ruby thought for a second, frowning like she was making an important and life-changing decision. After about 30 seconds, she finally settled on something, flipping her menu back around to You, gently tapping the image twice.

"It's a super simple parfait. It's got a bottom layer of mikan yoghurt, a layer of mikan slices, some whipped cream, and some orange zest over top," Ruby paused as she flipped over to a different page to point to another item, then continued, "The lemon tea goes great with it. It's unsweetened so the bitterness balances with the sweetness, while still providing a hint of citrus freshness."

Ruby smiled like she was proud of herself as she pulled the menu back towards her side of the table, and You couldn't help but laugh at that.

"When did you become a food critic?" You asked teasingly, flipping to the pages Ruby had shown her. It really did look delicious. When You glanced up at Ruby, the girl's face was bright pink, hands under the table fiddling with each other.

"A-ah, I said too much. Looks like my secret is out. Onee-chan'll be mad if she finds out I'm eating lots, so no telling," Ruby said, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. That lightness she'd felt earlier was feeling stronger than ever- and for the first time, she felt happy to be teased. You let out a hearty laugh- That beautiful sound gracing Ruby's ears again, made even better by the fact that it was for and because of her. 'Ah, I'm making her feel happy too,' Ruby thought happily.

"Instead of coming by yourself you should invite me next time. Maybe we could do one of those eating challenges," You snickered, Ruby breaking out into giggles as well.

Then, they gave the waitress their orders, and smiled as the waitress brought them over. You started on hers first, Ruby's eyes on her.

"So...?" Ruby was practically leaning over the table, curiosity. You scrunched up her face, much to Ruby's obvious horror, before bursting out into laughter, swallowing the creamy yoghurt and fresh mikan.

"It's delicious~" You said, happily pressing another spoonful to her lips. Ruby mock-pouted, smiling as she took a bite of her own order, a pleased hum drawn from the back of her throat. Everything seemed to slip away as they talked about everything and nothing, until both of their faces hurt from smiling so much.

This was bliss.

 

•••

  
The next week after swim practice, You invited Ruby over to play video games. They'd decided on Mario Party, and Ruby was currently kicking You's butt.

"Whoa, whoa, cheater!" You called out, making a fake mad face at Ruby's giggles.

"Ruby finally bested someone at something!" Ruby smiled happily, pumping her fist into the air, red twintails swinging about as she stuck her tongue out. You's eyes narrowed, zeroing in on Ruby's sides.

"Hmmm..." You said distractedly, before her hands shot forward, fingers digging into Ruby's sides. Ruby let out a delightfully shocked yelp, loud laughter filling the room.

This was bliss.

 

•••

 

"Hey, hey, we should go to the beach!" You suggested, leaning against the back of the cafe chair. Ruby pursed her lips, taking a small sip from her strawberry milkshake.

"But Onee-chan said I have to go to a marriage counselor or something like that. I don't really wanna though, I'm sick of hearing about relationships," Ruby whined, sighing as she leaned against her elbows.

"Aye, aye! Relationships and love are overrated," You agreed, taking another bite of her chocolate ice cream. "But you can just skip can't you? I mean, talking about marriage this early in this day and age?"

"I'd love to skip but Onee-chan would get really mad," Ruby said, defeated. You smirked, finishing her last bite.

"We can go when you're done," You suggested, pulling her wallet out of her pocket. Ruby grinned, doing the same.

"If I don't die of boredom first," Ruby joked, feeling the tension of the prospect of having to talk to a guy melting away at the sound of You's wonderful laugh.

This was bliss.

 

•••

 

"Punk!" You yelled out, snatching Ruby's watergun out of her hand and aiming. But when she pulled the trigger, nothing came out.

"Open!" Ruby called out, grabbing a smaller model tucked inside of her waistband and assaulting You's face with a cold spray of pool water.

"Ack! I can't believe I'm being defeated in my own damn territory," You clicked her tongue as she wiped the water from her face, "but I'm not done just yet!"

"PIGIII!" Ruby screeched as a big splash of water came her way, bangs plastering against her eyes to temporarily blind her. You smiled wistfully at the slightly annoyed expression Ruby was making.

This really was bliss.

 

•••

  
"You two have been hanging around a lot-" Chika and Riko started, wiggling their eyebrows.

"Perhaps-" Yoshiko continued.

"Could it be-" Hanamaru gasped.

"Love?!" Kanan and Mari finished.

"Buu buu desu wa!" Dia shouted, face red, earning chuckles from her two grilfriends. Everyone laughed except for You. A sharp pang stabbed at her heart as she considered the idea.

"No, it's called just being friends. Not everything's about love y'know," You stated a little bitterly, finishing her sentiment with a swig of water, before sighing and continuing at the unconvinced looks she was getting, " _Really_."

"Really?" Everyone asked at once.

"Really," You said.

 

•••

 

"You're sure?" Hanamaru and Yoshiko asked. Ruby nodded, smiling.

"Yup! You-chan and I are just friends. She's lots of fun to hang out with," Ruby smiled, tucking her books into her bag. Hanamaru and Yoshiko casted withering glances to one another, turning their gaze back to Ruby.

"I-I'm not lying, that's how things are," Ruby said, not missing the way her heart throbbed painfully. Due to what, she was unsure.

 

•••

 

Ruby glanced over at You, biting her lip as she pushed her food around on her plate. Lately their hangouts had felt a lot heavier. Ever since a few weeks ago when Hanamaru and Yoshiko had pried, she wasn't sure what to think. Did she really only want to be friends with You?

Or was she... No! She wasn't... was she? It couldn't be that, surely? That dreaded word.

_L..._

_O..._

_V.._.-

"Ruby-chan, I'm sorry," You said. Ruby's head whipped up from the beautiful collection of shells and vibrant rocks in the jar at the center of the table. Ruby's heart pounded as she remembered that You had talked fondly about how she and her dad had collected them together. She'd loved hearing about how much You admired her dad, and all the stories about the boats and such she got to explore.

"A-About what?" Ruby asked, flinching when her eyes met dark, dull blue eyes with crystal drops pouring down, some gathering on the tips of thick black lashes.

"I- I think I l-lo..." You didn't finish her sentence, trailing off with a sob, standing up. "Dammit!"

"You-cha-" Ruby's voice escaped her as she watched the distraught girl run out of the door, leaving Ruby standing at the table, dumbfounded. Ruby blinked in shock, a firey anger building up in her as she felt her feet carry her outside, slamming the door behind her.

"WHAT?!" Ruby screeched, following after, the full impact of what You was about to say slamming into her, nearly making her fall. Her breath was loud in her ears, blood rushing and sloshing around in her brain in a jumbled mess. Her lungs were burning as she kept her eyes on the grey blur ahead of her, the clacking of shoes she didn't even remember putting on hitting the pavement setting her pace.

The landscape scraped by slowly as neither of the girls gave in, their feet carrying them around. No longer was You running from Ruby or Ruby chasing You- they were running from their feelings, now quite literally. They both thought about the laughs and light-hearted fun they had together. It just worked. You didn't have to play counselor, she could just be her fun-loving energetic self. Ruby didn't need to think about the complexities of whether so and so would be mad if such and such happened, it was just her, You, and waterguns. Somewhere along the line, both had gotten so comfortable with one another that when they had thoughts about kissing one another or other usually romantic thoughts, rather than freaking out and exploding into blushes and *'Oh god I'm in love'* it just felt natural. Just the progression of friendship. And that was the worst of it- it'd snuck up so cruelly. Neither even had the time to process what on earth they were feeling, the realization just slammed into them all at once. Without even noticing, just like the fact that they'd ended up near that little cafe, their comfort, right on the boardwalk near the beach. They were reminded of what was going on when the redhead's eyes caught the glints of patterned glass in the moonlight.

"Don't," pant "say that," pant "then just," pant "run away!" Ruby yelled, surprised at her own voice, surprised she'd finally found it under all of that reminiscing and all those sneaky feelings. She nearly tripped over her feet trying to stop when You turned around, glasses sliding a bit down her noise.

"We're just supposed to be friends! I didn't want to- I didn't want to-" You's breathing became shallow. Her head was pounding painfully, it felt like the gravity of it all was slamming into her over and over, crashing down like a storm of frustration. She didn't know what she wanted to say. All You knew was that she didn't want to ruin this, this bliss- the friendship she'd missed so much. Her chest was heaving up and down, her body felt like it was on fire. She looked up to meet Ruby's equally teary face.

"Ruby's feeling like this too, y'know..." Ruby whispered. Their loud breathing melded with the roaring sound of waves crashing against the grainy sand. You broke the silence, nervously.

"I thought it wasn't, at first. My heart's not pounding out of its chest. My hands don't get all sweaty when I think of you, I just feel..." You trailed off, flinching when she noticed the way Ruby's wide eyes sparkled.

"'But when I think of you, I get really happy', right?" Ruby finished, that calming voice of hers gentle and small. It was light and fluffy and sweet, like a cake she wanted to indulge in forever. *Comforting*. You nodded, and Ruby took a step forward, planting her face against You's chest, sighing at the warmth that bloomed in both of them, their heads clearing out.

"R-Ruby feels the same. When Yoshiko-chan and Hanamaru-chan told me they were in love, they told me it made them feel excited, and they couldn't think straight. B-But Ruby-" She pulled away to look up at You, warm tears falling from her eyes to trail down her cheeks, stroking the soft skin of You's with her thumbs, "but I don't feel that! I've never thought so clearly in my life, I don't think. I didn't even realize-"

You's eyes were gentle as she nodded, pressing her forehead to Ruby's.

  
"But, you know, I don't want us to be a couple. I still want us to be friends, too. I don't want to be love-struck," You said sighing at the inner conflict going on in her feelings. As much as she wanted this, she wanted that pure feeling of relaxation and comfort- friendship. She didn't want to think about all of the complexities of romance. Surely, this would make Ruby hate her-

"Ruby agrees! That's why..." Ruby trailed off, taking You's hands in her own, pressing them to her chest. Before You could stammer something and ruin the moment, Ruby continued, "We should have our own relationship, our own word for our own feelings. You-chan is my precious friend, and that will always come first for me."

You nodded, feeling that familiar grin Ruby always put on her face creeping up on her. "Me too. That's why," You paused, hesitant, until Ruby's reassuring gaze pulled the next words from her mouth, "I don't want to tell anyone, or do any of that mushy couple stuff! I want us to still be able to joke around and all that. I still want to be your friend."

Ruby nodded eagerly, fingers threading through You's. She thought for a second before speaking. "I guess if we're not going to tell anyone, we don't need a name after all then, right? We know what's in our hearts, don't we?" Ruby asked. You's bright, unsure smile made Ruby's heart steady, making the tension he hadn't realized was building up melt away. You nodded, joy blooming in her chest at the thought that they were both on the same wavelength- that this precious girl before her accepted and reciprocated her odd feelings.

"This is just for the two of us," You whispered breathlessly, taking Ruby's chin into her hand. Ruby's eyelids fluttered close, but she shook her head lightly, forcing them open.

"You-chan, look at me like you always do," Ruby requested, gaze firmly holding You's own. You chuckled, nodding.

"Of course," You whispered, leaning down to press her lips against Ruby's. Their senses took as much of each other in as possible, their endless thoughts amalgamating together, their feelings melding with one another's as the kiss deepened. They savored the soft breathing of the other, the faint scent of youth in one another, the gentle warmth of one another's lips and bodies, the soft silk of the other's hair and skin on their fingertips. When they pulled away after what felt like forever and at the same time, nothing, neither of them looked away- they both had the same thought.

_'I don't want to lose myself in you- I want to be right here with you to experience this.'_

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading whoever makes it this far! These are my own thoughts about love so I wanted to see if I could put it into words with my Aqours OTP since I feel like it fits these two the most out of any ship I have. Sorry if it comes off as pretentious nonsense, this was more of an experiment of sorts.


End file.
